Invercargill artist's work on ministry card

FESTIVE TOUCH: Darryl Smith with the Social Development Ministry 2012 Christmas card featuring his painting The Dragon.

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Invercargill artist Darryl Smith is chuffed to have a painting from his first exhibition used on a Social Development Ministry Christmas card.

Smith's exhibition My New Journey opened at the Bank Gallery in Invercargill last month. Smith became well known in the community this year for sending his art to families of the 29 miners killed at Pike River.

Since then he has gone on to paint for families affected by tragedies overseas, packaging and sending off his art individually around the world.

He has also given artwork to the Invercargill City Council, the offices of Southland MPs and to the Southland Times.

Smith - who recently resolved a claim with the ministry relating to his care in the 1970s - began painting with encouragement from his MSD case manager two years ago as part of the resolution process.

Smith said he found out his painting was going to be used by the ministry about three months ago.

Finally having it on the Christmas card was exciting and "good for Southland", he said.